The Girl King Lioness
by maddyandsnoopy
Summary: As his son is being dragged off to war, Princess Belle comes into Rumplestiltskin's life to save them, but she needs his help as much as he needs hers. Rumbelle. AU. Warrior Princess!Belle and Spinner!Rum.
1. Chapter 1: The Lioness

The sound of horses announced the soldiers' arrival outside and Rumplestiltskin clutched his son tighter, huddled in their hovel of a home.

"I love you, Bae," he whispered into his boy's hair.

"I love you too, Papa," Bae said. The only sign that he was scared of what was to come was a small tremble in his hand, but he was always brave, his Baelfire, so unlike Rumplestiltskin.

There was a pounding on the door and Rumplestiltskin let Bae slip out of his arms, blinking back tears as Bae opened the door and stared up at Sir Hordor, the Duke's most trusted knight.

"Happy birthday, boy," Hordor growled with a grin that sent shivers down Rumplestiltskin's spine as he grabbed Bae's shoulder and pulled him out.

Rumplestiltskin limped after them. "Please," he said desperately. "Please don't take my son."

Bae closed his eyes as Hordor struck his father. "Silence, coward."

"Please!" Rumplestiltskin said again, stronger this time. "He's just a boy! He can't go to war."

Hordor stepped forward and knocked Rumplestiltskin's walking stick out from under him, causing him to collapse. "Duke's orders, Spindleshanks." He swung his leg and kicked Rumplestiltskin in the stomach, causing Bae to shout and Rumplestiltskin to swallow a moan of pain.

Hordor laughed and turned away, walking back to his horse.

"Please…" Rumplestiltskin groaned, still curled up on the ground. "Please. My son…"

"Your son will have the honor of serving," Hordor sneered. "And perhaps he won't turn out a coward like his father." He grabbed Bae's ear and pulled him away as Bae shouted for his father. "Silence, boy," Hordor snarled, raising his hand to hit Bae, but before he could, more horses came into the clearing, though these were decorated in the king's colors instead of the Duke's.

"What the hell is going on here?" a woman's voice said and Rumplestiltskin tore his eyes away from his son to look up at the woman who was leading the group of the king's soldiers. She swung down from her horse and stepped forward, blue eyes taking in the scene in front of her. They lingered on Rumplestiltskin, sprawled on the ground with his walking stick beside him, and Bae, who was still being held by Hordor.

"Who the devil are you?" Hordor said, staring at the woman in shock, and he wasn't the only one. The woman in front of them was dressed in clothes fitting for nobility, but male nobility. Trousers and knee-high leather boots, a dark red waistcoat with golden embroidery, leather gloves, and a belt with a long dagger hanging off of it seemed to fit a prince, not this small brunette in front of them.

She turned to stare at Hordor, her lips twitching. "Princess Belle," she said, raising her eyebrows at him.

Hordor's eyes widened and his scowl immediately changed into a greasy smile. "Milady Lioness," he said, bowing low and pulling Bae into a bow beside him.

"And you are?" she said as he straightened up.

"Sir Hordor, your highness," he said. "The Duke's right hand man, at your service." He bowed again and she rolled her eyes once he couldn't see her. "We weren't expecting the king's inspection for another week at least, and we certainly weren't expecting such a lovely inspector, Princess Belle."

She gave him a smile that didn't meet her eyes. "I find it best to arrive when unexpected." She glanced at Bae. "And this boy? What crime has he committed to deserve such rough treatment?"

"Just a father unwilling to see his son serve the fine country of Avonlea," Hordor said, gesturing to Rumplestiltskin.

Princess Belle blanched. "To serve? This boy is to enter the army?"

"Aye, your highness," Hordor said, frowning.

"He is a _child_," she hissed, stepping forward. For someone so small, she shouldn't be menacing, but the way she held herself made every man around look at his boots, hoping to avoid her notice, except for Rumplestiltskin. It was everything he could do not to stare at the princess standing there, the princess who was his son's only chance at life.

"He has reached the draft age," Hordor said, shifting his weight from his toes to heels and back again. "Today, in fact."

"And the draft age is?" she stared at him and when he wouldn't meet her eyes, she turned towards Bae. "How old are you, love?"

"F—fourteen, milady," Bae said.

The color returned to Belle's face as quickly as it had disappeared, turning her cheeks red and making her eyes flash as she rounded on Hordor. "Fourteen?" she said through clenched teeth. "You are putting fourteen year olds in the army?" Hordor wouldn't meet her gaze and she stepped forward, grabbing his shirt and pulling him close to her, growling in his face as he slowly raised his eyes to hers. "You are going to run back to the Duke and you are going to tell him that if I see a single child under the age of nineteen in the troops when I inspect them tomorrow, he will never see his precious Frontlands again. Do you understand?" Hordor nodded and she pushed him away, wrinkling her nose as if she had smelled something disgusting—which, Rumplestiltskin mused, wasn't unlikely knowing Hordor. When he didn't move and simply stared at her, she waved her hands dismissively. "Release the boy and run along to your master."

Hordor did just that, his men following him, but Bae didn't move either, staring at Belle in awe. She gave him a small smile and looked at Rumplestiltskin on the ground, who was staring up at her with a mix of admiration and fear. What anger was left in her eyes left as she approached him, kneeling down to grasp his walking stick in one hand and his arm in the other. "Up you go," she said, pulling him up with her and handing him his stick.

"I can never thank you enough, milady," he whispered, bowing his head. Bae's arms were suddenly around his waist and he almost forgot the princess was there as he grasped his son. Bae was the first one to pull away.

"Thank you, your highness," he said shyly, looking up at Belle through his long eyelashes. "I didn't really fancy going to war."

She smiled warmly and reached out to cup Bae's cheek. "I would imagine not. How long as the draft age been younger than nineteen?"

"It was lowered to sixteen two years ago, milady," Rumplestiltskin said, not meeting her eyes. "And then to fifteen six months ago and fourteen mere days ago."

She released an unladylike curse and Rumplestiltskin stared at her in surprise again. She gave him a sheepish smile, though her eyes were still full of anger. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sworn in front of your son. I also should have known about this before now." She sighed and tucked a stray curl back into her braid. "Why did no one send word? We've only heard about how successful the Frontlands have been against the ogres. Not once was it mentioned that children were being sent to war."

"The Duke has the Dark One in his control," Rumplestiltskin said. "No one would ever dare cross him, milady."

"He hurt my friend Morraine's mama when she tried to stop Hordor from taking her a few days ago," Bae said, looking down at his shoes.

"The Duke has the Dark One in his control?" Belle whispered and her face twisted in anger again when Rumplestiltskin nodded. "He has the Dark One and he's drafting _children_?"

"Why does that make you so mad?" Bae said. "It doesn't make a difference that he has the Dark One."

"Bae," Rumplestiltskin hissed before turning back to the princess. "I'm terribly sorry, your highness. My boy can ask all sorts of questions."

"There's nothing wrong with curiosity," she said tiredly, looking older than she was as she fixed her blue eyes on Bae. "I'm angry because it makes every difference. The Dark One is the most powerful being in our world and could easily defeat the ogres."

Rumplestiltskin gasped. "So the Duke… He… He wants this war?"

Belle nodded gravely before shaking her head and smiling at them again. "I shouldn't be troubling you with my burdens. Thank you for your information." She bowed her head and turned to walk away.

"Wait," Bae said and when she glanced back at him, he looked up at Rumplestiltskin. "Papa, you should tell her what that man we met on the road said. It could help."

Belle's brow furrowed and she looked curious as she looked at Rumplestiltskin. "A beggar we met told us about the Dark One," he said. "Bae is right. His story could be of use to you, your highness."

She stared hard at him before nodding and addressing one of the men who were still on their horses behind her, watching the exchange. "Go on to the Duke's castle. I'll be with you soon."

The man, tall with a strong jaw and black hair, nodded before leading the group of knights away. Belle tied her horse to the fence of the sheep pen and looked to Rumplestiltskin expectantly.

"Why don't you come inside?" Bae said when it was clear Rumplestiltskin wasn't going to say anything. "We don't have much, but we can at least offer you some tea."

She smiled at him warmly and Rumplestiltskin was amazed at how his son never failed to charm strangers, aside from Hordor, of course. "Thank you. Bae, was it?"

Bae nodded. "Baelfire. And my papa is Rumplestiltskin."

"A pleasure to meet you both," she said, following them into the small, dilapidated cottage.

Bae pulled out a chair at the small table for her, earning a bright smile that turned his cheeks pink, as Rumplestiltskin hurriedly heated some water over the fire. Belle looked around their home as he worked and he grimaced in shame, but there was no judgment or pity in her eyes, only curiosity and friendliness. When Rumplestiltskin placed a cup of tea in front of her, she gave him the same big smile she had given Bae and he understood why his son had blushed.

She took a sip of tea, paused, and carefully lowered the cup back to the table. "I'm sorry," Rumplestiltskin muttered. "It's not very good."

"No, it's fine," she said, smiling again, though he could tell she was lying. "It was just hot." Rumplestiltskin hesitantly gave her a small smile and she leaned forward, folding her arms on the table. "So, what have you heard about the Dark One?"

Rumplestiltskin sat down on the other chair and stretched out his bad leg. "We were on the road the night before last, trying to—trying…" Rumplestiltskin paused, not wanting to admit his cowardice to the princess before him, a woman so brave and strong her people called her the Lioness.

"You were trying to save your son from war," she said, nodding sadly. "I can't apologize enough for what my laxity has cost your village."

He blinked at her in surprise. "It—it's not your fault, your highness."

"Yes, it is," she said. "I'm responsible for protecting the people of Avonlea, whether it's from ogres or tyrannical dukes." She sighed again and he was struck by the sudden need to never see her look so miserable ever again. "Anyway, the Dark One?"

Bae dragged the stool from the spinning wheel over so he could sit at the table as well. "There was a beggar on the road and he told us how to kill him and—"

"Bae, slow down," Rumplestiltskin said, glancing at the princess, who was watching Bae with an amused, albeit confused, smile. "The beggar said that there is a dagger that holds the Dark One's power. The man in possession of the dagger is the Dark One's master and the man who kills the Dark One with it takes the power for himself. Folklore, I'm sure."

Belle shook her head. "I don't think so." Rumplestiltskin and Bae watched her as she put her chin in her hand and began to chew on her little finger absentmindedly. "There's historical records of men controlling the Dark One as well as the curse being passed on in a seemingly hereditary fashion, except for the fact that there is no evidence to the Dark One ever having children," she said around her finger, thinking out loud. "That makes perfect sense." She looked at Rumplestiltskin and Bae as if remembering they were there for the first time, eyes wide. "We need to get that dagger away from the Duke. As long as he has it, he'll never listen to my commands."

"You're the princess. Can't you just order him to give it to you?" Bae said.

She laughed. "He'll just have the Dark One overpower me if I try to do that, love. I need to be clever about this."

"The beggar said that the dagger was hidden behind a tapestry in the Duke's private sitting room," Rumplestiltskin said.

Belle frowned, narrowing her eyes. "How would a beggar know all of this when the best historians don't?"

"Maybe the Dark One told him," Bae said brightly.

"Maybe," Belle echoed, still frowning as she stood. "Thank you for your help, Baelfire and Rumplestiltskin. I won't forget it." She smiled. "And thank you for the tea." She gestured towards the still-full cup on the table.

"It was our pleasure, your highness," Rumplestiltskin said, standing and following her to the door.

"I hope we'll see you again, princess," Bae said and Rumplestiltskin began to give him a warning glare but stopped when Belle laughed.

"I hope so too," she said, stepping outside. They watched as she mounted her horse and smiled at them again. "Best of luck." With that, she urged her horse forward and rode towards the Duke's castle.

"I like her," Bae announced as Rumplestiltskin closed the door. "I'm glad she's our princess."

"Aye," Rumplestiltskin said. "She's not like any other nobility I've met."

* * *

Over the next week, Rumplestiltskin saw the princess frequently in town and she gave him a smile every time she caught his eye. She was almost always with the tall knight she had spoken to on the first night she was in town as she went around speaking to the villagers, asking after the Duke's treatment of them. The improvements were immediately obvious: taxes were lowered, businesses were bolstered with the king's gold, and the children had all returned the day after her arrival. As she made her way through the village, she gave special attention to the families that had watched their children go to war and even more attention to the families that didn't get their son or daughter back.

On market day, she walked around to the stalls, carrying a basket and purchasing something from everyone, laughing and joking with the other peasants. Rumplestiltskin felt a pang of jealousy when someone else got her smile, especially when she gave it to the knight who was with her, but shook it off, focusing on the yarn and thread he was trying to sell.

"You don't seem to have many customers."

He looked up into startling blue eyes. "Princess," he stammered and she smiled at him. "I never have many customers."

She frowned. "Why? Your thread is some of the best quality I've seen." She brushed her fingers over a spool.

"Thank you, your highness," he murmured, sighing in relief as Bae ran up, distracting her.

"Princess!"

"Hello, Baelfire," she said, grinning as she gave him a one-armed hug that surprised Rumplestiltskin as much as it pleased him. "And how are you today?"

"Amazing," he said. "My friend Morraine is back, so I've been visiting her." He noticed the man behind the princess for the first time and his eyes got wide. "Are you a real knight?"

Belle laughed and the knight smiled slightly. "Yes, I am," he said, his voice deep and strong.

"This is Sir Gaston, my second-in-command," Belle said, patting Sir Gaston's arm.

"Can I see your sword, my lord?" Bae asked hesitantly, beaming when Gaston knelt to one knee and pulled out his sword, offering it to Bae hilt-first gravely.

Rumplestiltskin watched his son in amusement and jumped when he felt a soft hand covering his own, turning to look at the princess, who was leaning across his wares to whisper to him. "Can Gaston and I come by your cottage after sunset tonight? We want to talk about the Dark One."

"Of course, your highness, though I don't see why I would be much help."

She smiled. "Gaston wants to hear the story himself," she said, shrugging before looking towards Gaston showing Bae how to properly hold the sword with a fond smile. He glanced at her questioningly and she nodded.

"Well, young sir, we could make a knight out of you yet," Gaston said, straightening and taking his sword away from Bae gently, sheathing it.

"Thank you, milord," Bae said, grinning as Gaston ruffled his hair.

"How much for these?" Belle said, holding up two spools of string.

"Two coppers," Rumplestiltskin said, avoiding her gaze.

She pressed two coins into his palm and murmured, "Thank you, Rumplestiltskin."

He watched her leave in amazement, Gaston talking to her quietly, before he looked at the coins and gasped. Instead of two coppers, she had given him two silvers. "Your highness," he called after her. She glanced back at him. "You gave me silvers, not coppers."

She smiled. "I know." She turned back to Gaston and continued her conversation with him as they rounded a corner, leaving Rumplestiltskin to gape after her.

"Son, I need you to go buy some good tea and then go home to tidy up while I try to sell this stuff," he said, gathering his wits and pushing some money into his son's hand before nudging him away.

"What? Why?"

"The princess and Sir Gaston are coming by after sunset," he said. "We have warning this time, so we can at least try to be presentable."

Bae's face lit up and he nodded, running down the street to the only vendor who sold tea. Rumplestiltskin passed a hand over his face, sighing before he continued to try to sell his yarn.

When he returned home later that day, he found Bae taking care of the sheep with enthusiasm, a clean yard, and an even cleaner home.

"I should invite royalty over more often if this is the result," Rumplestiltskin said, laughing as he ignored the pit in his stomach.

Bae grinned. "I think you should." He followed his father into the house, chatting about everything he did to clean as Rumplestiltskin made a stew, trying to control the tremble in his hands. "Papa, don't be so nervous," he said, interrupting his own ramblings about how hard it was to decide what tea to buy. "I think she likes us, and Sir Gaston isn't anything like Sir Hordor."

"Of course, son."

Rumplestiltskin spent the evening spinning as Bae cleaned up after dinner and both were listening for horses as soon as the sun went down, but never heard any. An hour after sunset, Rumplestiltskin was resigned to not receiving any visitors after all when there was a knock on the door. Bae ran over and opened it, greeting Belle and Gaston as they came inside. She gave him a warm smile, but Gaston remained serious as he took the offered seat at the table. Rumplestiltskin made tea with the new leaves and saw Belle resign herself to a required first sip when he placed a cup in front of her.

"Oh," she said, looking down at the cup in surprise. "You got new tea."

"I picked it out!" Bae said from his place on the hearth.

"You did a fine job, Master Bae," Belle said, laughing.

"Belle," Gaston said, shooting her a glance. She rolled her eyes.

"Ignore Gaston," she said, still smiling. "He's a bit serious." When he shot her another look, she sighed, her expression turning almost as grave as Gaston's. "Rumplestiltskin, would you mind telling him what you told me about the Dark One?" When Rumplestiltskin nodded, she smiled, stood up, and took her tea over to sit next to Bae on the ground, speaking quietly to him as Gaston listened to Rumplestiltskin, his brown eyes fixed on the spinner.

When Rumplestiltskin finished, Gaston sat back in his seat, frowning at the table before looking at Belle, who was watching him. She raised her eyebrows and he nodded. "You're right," he said. "We need to find a way to get the dagger away from the Duke without him knowing that's what we're after."

"You're the tactical master," Belle said, standing up to leave Bae and walk over to the table, leaning her hip against it.

"Well, it all depends on if the beggar was telling the truth when he said the dagger would be in the private sitting room," Gaston said, frowning. Belle nodded, putting her pinkie between her teeth again.

"If I may, your highness?" Rumplestiltskin said, shrinking as Gaston and Belle both looked at him with piercing gazes.

"You can call me Belle, Rumplestiltskin," she said, smiling.

He blinked in surprise. "Very well, your highness." She rolled her eyes—Rumplestiltskin noticed that she seemed to do that a lot—but motioned for him to continue. "I had made a plan to try to get the dagger the night before Bae's birthday that might work."

Gaston made a small scoffing sound that earned him a glare from Belle before she looked back at Rumplestiltskin, urging him to speak. As he outlined the plan, Belle's smile grew and Gaston's skepticism faded into respect. By the time he ended, Belle was sitting on his table, beaming down at him, and Gaston was staring at him in awe. "That's brilliant," Gaston said.

"Indeed," Belle said, eyeing Rumplestiltskin with curiosity along with her normal kindness. "Gaston, do you have men who could carry it out?"

"Belle," he said, raising his eyebrows to her. "Part of the brilliance is how Rumplestiltskin takes advantage of a peasant's invisibility to nobility. My men wouldn't be able to pull it off."

"What are you saying?" she said sharply.

He looked at Rumplestiltskin. "How do you feel about breaking into a castle, spinner?"

"No!" Belle said. "I am not making one of my citizens carry out my dirty work for me."

"Do you see any other way?"

Belle opened her mouth to argue with Gaston when Rumplestiltskin cut her off. "I'll do it." Gaston looked pleased and Belle and Bae both looked at him in surprise. "If I don't, nothing will change. You'll stay for a few more weeks and the Duke will follow your laws until you leave, and then he'll send the children to war and it will be as if you never came in the first place."

"Are you sure?" Belle said, sliding off the table to step closer to him. Rumplestiltskin nodded and she sighed. "Well, we better get planning then."

They stayed late to go over plans, long after Rumplestiltskin sent Bae to bed, though he was sure the boy stayed awake and was listening the entire time.

"—and you'll meet Belle in the forest to give her the dagger," Gaston said, grinning.

Rumplestiltskin nodded, clutching his walking stick. Belle was frowning, her forehead furrowed as she stared at him from her perch on the table.

Gaston cracked his knuckles and stood up. "We'll be in touch when we're ready." He held a hand out to help Belle stand. "Thank you, Rumplestiltskin. You're a good man," he said, clapping Rumplestiltskin's back before striding out of the house, leaving Belle to watch Rumplestiltskin with her big eyes.

"What the people in the village say about you is wrong," she said quietly. "You're not a coward."

He smiled sadly at her. "One act of bravery for purely selfish reasons doesn't negate a lifetime of cowardice, your highness."

She reached out and clasped his arm. "You're not a coward."

"Says the Lioness."

She smiled at him. "Exactly. I'm the Lioness. Trust me, I know a coward when I see one." He just looked at her and she bit her lip before turning away to follow Gaston out. He immediately missed her.

* * *

Rumplestiltskin watched Belle walk around at the next market day, ten days later, going from stall to stall as she had before. When she got to his, her whole face lit up and she beamed at him, making his lips quirk up slightly.

When she passed him coins for his yarn, she grasped his wrist and pulled him closer, leaning across the wood to whisper in his ear. "Tonight. Two hours after sundown." Releasing him, she raised her eyebrows and looked at him until he nodded. She gave him another smile before walking away, Gaston joining her.

As she left the market, Rumplestiltskin tried not to think about what would happen if the Duke caught him. He thought Belle would intercede for him if he were to face punishment. She seemed kind and he doubted she would let him be executed for something she was involved in too. But then again, why would she save him? He was a coward and she was the bravest person in the kingdom.

Why would she help him when he was just a spinner and she was a princess?

* * *

**A/N: If you're a reader of Hidden Under Darkness, my other WIP, I'm terribly sorry and I will be updating that soon.**

**On another note, this will be three chapters long. Thank you for reading and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Lionhearted Coward

Rumplestiltskin approached the castle like Gaston had told him to, coming up to a hidden entrance on the side that was likely once used by servants and knocking three times. He had left Bae at home, but he still had to try to suppress the tremble in his hand at the thought of being caught.

With a loud creak that made him wince, the dark wooden door opened and Gaston peered out at him before wordlessly stepping aside to let Rumplestiltskin pass, closing the door behind him.

"You have the torch?" The knight whispered, leading Rumplestiltskin through the near-darkness with only his own torch for light and up a steep staircase.

"Aye."

"Good," he nodded, more to himself than to Rumplestiltskin. As they walked, Gaston gave him directions to the Duke's private rooms. Rumplestiltskin thanked the gods that he had been forced to memorize everything important his entire life so that now that it mattered, the facts stuck in his head like ants in honey. At the top of the staircase, Gaston turned and led him down another hallway before pausing in front of a door. "Here's the courtyard, spinner." He pressed one hand to the door and placed the other on his sword before looking Rumplestiltskin in the eye. "Belle will be waiting for you in the forest. Stick to the plan and be brave and you should be fine." He opened the door to a dark courtyard full of wood and straw. "Good luck," he murmured as Rumplestiltskin passed him, catching his torch on the one Rumplestiltskin carried, lighting it.

Moving as quickly as his leg would allow, Rumplestiltskin lit the debris in the courtyard on fire. Belle had assured him that his assumption that lighting what was in the yard would lead to the wood supports throughout the castle catching fire as well was correct, and she promised she would soak as many of them as she could in oil. He began to think that she hadn't done so and instead left him a sitting duck to be captured by the Duke, a game for her own amusement, when there was a large burst of flame that traveled up the walls and into the castle quickly.

Limping across the courtyard and avoiding the flames, Rumplestiltskin slipped through a passageway until he found another door. Following Gaston's directions, he made his way through the castle, hiding in shadows and ducking behind tapestries when servants passed him. Luckily, Gaston had sent him through a part of the castle that less people spend time in and even if there were crowds, they were all too busy with the fire to notice him. He reached the hallway that led to the Duke's chambers when he had to dive into a small room hidden by a tapestry to avoid two people coming towards him.

"Come now, your grace," Belle's voice said through the cloth. "Your rooms will be fine. You're lucky I came along and found you before the fire caught you. We need to get you out of harm's way."

"I appreciate your concern, princess; however…"

The Duke's voice faded as he and Belle rounded a corner, hurrying out of the hall. Rumplestiltskin counted to twenty before slipping out of the room and walking in the direction Belle had come from. At the end of the hall, there was a massive oak door with iron fastenings that he carefully pushed open as little as was necessary to get into the room.

The room looked like it had been full of beautiful and expensive things, but now it was filled with flames and smoke. At the far end, there was a large green and gold tapestry with the Duke's crest on it that was largely unharmed and Rumplestiltskin hobbled up to it. Once he reached it, he pulled it aside, revealing a long, curvy dagger with engravings the blade. Not daring to look at the carvings, he picked it up gingerly and tucked it into his belt before hurrying out of the room.

He left the castle the way he came and didn't see another soul as he wove his way through the hallways and passages, exiting through the old servant's entrance. Walking along the path into the forest, he followed the lines Belle had carved onto tree trunks to guide him off of it and towards her until he came into a clearing and found her pacing with her finger between her teeth.

"Rumplestiltskin!" she cried when she saw him, rushing forward to grip his arm. "Are you alright?" When he nodded, she released his arm, relaxing. "Did you get the dagger?"

Rumplestiltskin silently pulled the blade out from beneath his cloak and gripped it tightly, holding it slightly away from his body. Belle put her hand out for it and he stared at her before turning his gaze to the dagger. The blade seemed to call to him and he felt his fingers tighten around it, begging him to put it to use, to call the Dark One and enslave him.

"Rumplestiltskin," Belle whispered, stepping towards him. He stepped back, giving her a look as sharp as the dagger. She froze, her eyes flicking down to it and then back up to his eyes, which narrowed. "Rumplestiltskin, give me the dagger."

They stared at each other for a long moment in which everything was silent. Neither of them breathed and it seemed as if the whole forest was holding its breath with them. Not even the wind blew and the whole world was not only silent but perfectly still, frozen until Rumplestiltskin released a shaky breath and thrust the dagger at Belle, causing her to jump back and reach for the blade on her hip before she realized he was holding it with the handle towards her, offering it to her and resisting its seduction.

Carefully, Belle pulled it out of his grasp, keeping her eyes on him even as he couldn't meet her gaze, staring at the ground and gripping his walking stick with both hands as soon as the dagger left his grip.

"Thank you," she whispered. He looked up at her but she was fingering the blade, reading the word written on it. Glancing up at him, she offered him a tight smile. "Are you ready to meet the Dark One?" Not waiting for an answer, she held the dagger up in the air. "Zoso, I summon thee."

There was silence.

Rumplestiltskin and Belle stared at each other before Belle's eyes widened as they moved to a spot above his shoulder and when he turned to look behind him, he yelped and jumped back towards her. Behind him was a man in a cloak that shrouded his face in shadow.

"You are the not the new master I expected, your highness," he said in a deep, gravelly voice.

Belle straightened her shoulders and stepped forward, shoving her torch into Rumplestiltskin's hand and putting herself between him and the Dark One. "You are Zoso, the Dark One?"

He bowed his head. "I am, mistress. What would you have me do? Do you wish for me to end the war you and your father are too weak finish? I can't imagine what it must be like to not even be able to protect the people you are born to lead."

Rumplestiltskin couldn't see her face, but the back of her neck, bared by her hair being plaited to the side, paled even as she shook her head. "I am not interested in any mind games, Zoso. You have to follow my orders, correct? An honest yes or no will suffice."

"Yes," Zoso said, a frown in his voice.

"Excellent," Belle said. "From this point on, you will answer all of my questions honestly. No twisting of words or any falsehood of any kind. Nothing but the truth, understood?" Zoso nodded. "Good. Now, kindly remove your hood."

Zoso reached up slowly and did as she said, showing his face for the first time, causing Rumplestiltskin to step forward, recognizing him even with the green-gold scales that now covered his skin. "You're the beggar," he said, shaking where he stood next to Belle. "You're the beggar who told me how to control the Dark One."

"Very observant, Rumplestiltskin," Zoso said, amused.

"Why would you tell him how to kill you?" Belle said, frowning.

"My life is such a burden," Zoso growled. "Magic always comes with a price, and mine is being passed around between petty lords and ladies who have no qualms with enslaving me as long as I win them land and gold and power."

Belle stayed silent for a long time before taking a deep breath. "Can you end the Ogre War?"

"Aye, mistress," he said.

She nodded. "Then end it with no further bloodshed. Send all of the ogres somewhere they cannot harm any person, somewhere they cannot leave and no one else can enter."

Zoso closed his eyes for the span of three breaths and then opened them again. "It is done."

"You shall harm no person for the rest of your life unless it is in self-defense. You will only use your powers for good and will help people who need it, understood?" Belle said, stepping towards him and tightening her grip on the dagger.

"Yes, princess."

"Good," Belle said, frowning hard at him. "I am going to ask you another question and it is even more important for you to be honest with this one than any other I asked." Zoso and Rumplestiltskin both stared at her as she gathered her thoughts. "If I were to release you, would you have to follow my orders still?" They both kept staring at her, though in shock now.

"N-no," Zoso stammered, eyes wide. "I would not be required to, but I would give my solemn promise that I would, and I would kept that promise."

Belle gave him another hard look before nodding. "I accept that promise." Holding the dagger out, she murmured, "Zoso, I release thee."

With a shaking hand, he reached out and grasped the dagger, a grin spreading across his face once it was in his hands. Tucking it into his clothing, he beamed up at Belle. "You have just gained yourself a powerful ally, your highness. Should you be in need, do not hesitate to call on me for help. I am in your debt." Belle smiled and bowed her head. "You will make a great queen one day."

"King," Belle said.

Zoso gave her a knowing smile. "Indeed." He bowed deeply to her and she sank into a graceful curtsey, hands out to her sides as if she was gripping an invisible skirt. He turned to Rumplestiltskin. "Spinner, it would seem I am indebted to you as well for bringing the Lioness my dagger. You may call on me as well."

"T-thank you," Rumplestiltskin stammered.

Zoso nodded to both of them one last time before vanishing.

They both stared in shock at the spot Zoso had been standing in before Belle turned to Rumplestiltskin, smiling brightly. "That went well."

He just looked at her with big eyes and she laughed, linking her arm through his as she began to walk in the direction of the town. "Thank you for everything, Rumple," she said, smiling up at him as she squeezed his arm gently.

He cast her a tentative smile, which she seemed content with as she looked towards the path.

"Princess, may I speak frankly?"

"I encourage it," Belle said, beaming at him. "But only if you call me Belle."

"Belle," he murmured, loving the way her name rolled off his tongue, and she giggled. He immediately decided he wanted to hear that sound again. "Belle, you are not like any princess I would expect."

Belle chuckled. "That's because I'm not like any other princess. I was raised like a prince to be king, rather than a princess raised to marry a nobleman and be his queen."

"That's why you corrected Zoso," Rumplestiltskin said, frowning.

"Aye," she said, nodding. "My mother and baby brother died in childbirth when I was a girl. She was the love of my father's life, so he refused to remarry. When his advisors told him that was unwise for it would leave him without an heir, he declared that I would be sole heir to the throne and would one day be king, solving that problem." Rumplestiltskin stared at her in surprise and she squeezed his arm again. "It was quite scandalous, but most people seem to have accepted it now."

"It would be a waste to have you just as queen," he said, earning another one her bright smiles that warmed his undeserving heart.

* * *

"What word is that?"

"C-coo… No… Cow!"

"Perfect!" Belle said, grinning at Bae where she sat next to him at the table. Rumplestiltskin glanced over at them, stopping the spinning wheel for a moment, and smiled.

It had been an eventful two months since Belle had released the Dark One. The first thing she had done was write to her father with a request to strip the Duke of his title and as soon as she got a response, she marched up to the Duke in the town square and handed him the king's order.

"What the hell is this?" The Duke growled. "These are my lands."

"Not any longer," Belle said with a satisfied smirk. "You don't have the Dark One to hide behind anymore, as I'm sure you noticed, so it's time for you to answer to your crimes. My men will escort you back to the king's palace."

The Duke stepped closer to her, lifting his hand as if to strike her, and she didn't so much as flinch, even as Gaston stepped forward and grabbed the Duke's wrist, twisting it roughly.

"It's been a pleasure, your grace. You're in good hands now," she said, nodding permission to Gaston to take him away. She looked at the people gathered in the square before turning to a shopkeeper and gestured to a wooden crate that was lying in front of his shop. "May I use this?" When he nodded, she overturned it and stepped up onto it. "People of the Frontlands! You no longer have a tyrant as a lord. I will be taking over management of the former duke's lands until my father the king decides who your next duke will be." She smiled out at the crowd. "Rest assured that the next man chosen will be good and just and would never send your children to war."

Someone cheered in the back of the crowd, and then everyone erupted in celebration. As townspeople swarmed her, thanking her, she caught Rumplestiltskin's eye and winked at him.

She had spent the next two months rebuilding the war-torn town and the surrounding villages, seemingly determined to make the town a thriving city, but even with everything she was doing, Rumplestiltskin somehow found her in his home at least two nights a week. Sometimes she brought dinner for them or a large bolt of cloth and lately had taken to bringing books to teach Baelfire how to read. When Rumplestiltskin asked her to stop taking pity on them, she had given him an adoring smile.

"Rumple, you do realize that without your help the Duke would still be the lord here, don't you?" she said. "I'm showing my thanks. Besides, I love spending time with you and your son." At his shocked expression, her smile faltered. "If you don't want me here, of course, don't hesitate to say so…"

"No!" Rumplestiltskin said, startling Belle with his outburst. "No, I love having you here. I just don't want you to feel obligated to visit us or bring us things."

"I don't feel obligated," Belle said, putting her hand over his on the table. "There's no place I would rather be right now."

He hadn't been able to stop himself from smiling at her then.

"You'll be reading faster than me at the rate you're going," Belle said, smiling at Bae and bringing Rumplestiltskin back to the present.

"I don't know about that," Bae said, smiling back at her and for a moment Rumplestiltskin could pretend that this was how it always would be before he remembered who Belle was and how ridiculous that hope was.

"Bae, I think it's time you went to bed," Rumplestiltskin said quietly, keeping his eyes on the spinning wheel.

"Papa," he whined.

"We have to be up early to shear the sheep tomorrow, son," Rumplestiltskin said. "Go to sleep."

Grumbling, Bae stood up and bid Belle goodnight before going into the loft where his pallet was kept.

As soon as Bae left the room, it was silent except for the creaking of the wheel and the crackling of the fire. Rumplestiltskin could feel Belle's eyes on him, but he didn't look around at her.

"Do you like it?"

"What?" he said, glancing at her and finding her standing right behind him.

"Spinning," she said, tilting her chin towards the wheel. "I know you spin have to spin for your livelihood, but do you like it?"

"Aye," Rumplestiltskin said, turning back to the wheel. "I suppose it's the only thing I'm good at, and it helps me forget."

"Forget what?"

He paused. "I guess it worked."

Belle surprised him when she laughed. "Rumple, can I ask you a personal question?"

"It depends on what it is."

"How did you injure your leg?"

He shook his head, looking up at her but not meeting her eyes. "Not that, Belle. Anything but that."

"Alright," she said gently, putting her hand on his shoulder. "What about Bae's mother? What happened to her?"

Rumplestiltskin swallowed. "She was kidnapped by pirates when he was a boy. When I went to the captain to try to get her back, he told me he would fight me for her. If I won, he would let her go, but if I lost…"

"If you lost, he would kill you and leave Bae completely parentless." When Rumplestiltskin nodded, she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "You didn't take him up on his offer."

"I would have lost," he murmured, gesturing to his bad leg. "I failed her."

Belle sighed and tightened her arm around him. "The first lesson that my father taught me about ruling a country is that sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils and while neither of them are the right thing to do, you can only choose what's best in the long run. You made the right choice, Rumple, no matter how much it hurt."

"Thank you," he whispered, looking up at her. She gave him a watery smile and he cast around in his mind desperately for a new topic. "What about you? I thought princesses got married young, and you're…"

"An old maid?" she said with a wry smile.

"No!"

She laughed. "I'm twenty-seven years old, Rumplestiltskin. That's hardly young for an unmarried woman." She pulled a chair from the table over to sit next to him at the wheel. "I was actually supposed to marry Gaston when I turned nineteen, but I refused. Neither of us would have been happy. He's my oldest friend and I love him dearly, but not in the way I want to love the man I marry. After that, no one wanted to marry me, not that I would have wanted to marry any of the noblemen who would have come for my hand," she said, shrugging.

"Why wouldn't they want to marry you?" Rumplestiltskin said, frowning, and she smiled at his confused expression.

"I'm a princess who will be king. Noblemen want to marry princesses so that they can be king, but any man who would marry me would have to defer to my authority, and it takes a rare man to be willing to submit to a woman in any way, let alone like that," she said.

"Well, that just reaffirms my theory that all noblemen are idiots," he said and she giggled, making him smile.

"Thank you, Rumple," she said, leaning in to kiss his cheek before standing. "I'll see you at the market tomorrow." When he nodded, she smiled and left his home, leaving it feeling empty.

True to her word, Belle came up to his stall to buy more thread the next day, Gaston in tow as usual.

"You're my best customer, Belle," Rumplestiltskin said, smiling at her as she picked out some spools.

"I have to give Gaston something to do to keep the boredom away, and he so loves embroidery," she said, her eyes sparkling. Gaston rolled his eyes and she snickered as she handed Rumplestiltskin some coins. "I have a new book I want to show Bae, so I was thinking I could bring some dinner by tonight? The castle's cook is happy to finally make something more than the roasted pork the Duke demanded, so there's more food than any of us can eat. I can smuggle some out before the extras are given away."

"Bae would love that," he said, smiling at her.

"Princess, I understand that you want to get to know the people you rule over, but you shouldn't bother wasting your time on Rumplestiltskin," Annette, the butcher's wife, said as she walked up to the stall. Her dirty blonde hair was piled on top of her head and she looked at Rumplestiltskin scornfully.

"Pardon?" Belle said in a warning tone that Annette ignored as she kept talking.

"Our dear spinner hobbled himself so he wouldn't have to fight in the Ogre War," she said, sneering at him. "He made sure he would be too injured to go to battle while the rest of our men stood and fought and died, Milady Lioness."

He stared at his thread, not daring to look up at Belle, though he could feel both her eyes and Gaston's fixed on him.

"Spinner, is that true?" Gaston said at last.

"Aye," Rumplestiltskin whispered, looking up at him. The knight was staring at him with an unreadable expression and when Rumplestiltskin glanced at Belle, she was giving him a sad look. "I didn't want Bae to grow up fatherless." Belle's brow furrowed before she turned back to Annette.

"Annette, are you glad the Duke is no longer your lord?"

"Of course, your highness," Annette said, blinking at Belle.

"And you are aware that if the Dark One was still under his thrall, the Duke would still control these lands?" Belle said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, your highness," Annette said, confusion clear in her tone.

"You have Rumplestiltskin to thank for freeing the Dark One," Belle said, eyes fixed on Annette.

"What? But I thought you—"

"I wouldn't have even known how to free the Dark One without Rumplestiltskin's help and he was key in the actual act of getting the power away from the Duke, so maybe he isn't quite the coward you think he is," Belle said quietly. "Thank you for your input, Annette." Annette stared at Rumplestiltskin before walking away stiffly at Belle's dismissal.

Belle sighed, exchanging a look with Gaston before turning back to Rumplestiltskin. "Thank you for your kind words, princess," he said, looking at his wares again.

"Back to titles, are we?" Belle said, giving him a small smile.

"You won't want to be associated with me now that you know what a coward I really am," he murmured, avoiding her gaze.

"I'll decide what I want to do, thank you very much," Belle said, slamming her palm on the stall in frustration. "Do you remember what I told you, Rumplestiltskin? About me being the Lioness and knowing a coward when I see one?" When he nodded, she glared at him. "That still stands, Rumple. If you're a coward, then you're the most lionhearted coward I have ever met. My friendship isn't lost so easily. Is yours?"

He looked up at her then to see her staring hard at him with her clear blue eyes, eyes that were filled with an impossible affection that couldn't possibly be directed towards him but was, and he nearly fell to the floor with thanks then and there but instead tightened his grip on his walking stick and smiled at her. "No, Belle, it isn't."

"Good," she said, smiling so brightly that all of her worry lines melted away and she looked as if she didn't have a care in the world, although he knew that she felt like had the world on her shoulders even if she didn't show it. "I'll see you tonight then." With one last smile, she sauntered away, casting a look at the group of women huddled around Annette at the other side of the town square.

"Rumplestiltskin," Gaston said, leaning against the stall. Rumplestiltskin looked up at him in surprise at being addressed by his name. "There is no shame in abandoning a hopeless war to be with your son."

"I didn't want him to grow up without a father like I did," Rumplestiltskin said and Gaston held up his hand.

"You don't have to justify your actions to me. I understand. Believe me, I understand." A haunted look crossed the normally stoic knight's face before he covered it up with a serious expression that Rumplestiltskin suspected, for the first time, was a mask to hide the true coward that was inside every person. As if reading his mind, Gaston nodded. "Belle is the only truly brave person I've ever met, and even she gets scared sometimes. There's no shame in feeling fear."

"I can't imagine Belle scared."

Gaston smiled slightly. "You should have seen her the day you stole the dagger. Have a good day, spinner." He nodded to Rumplestiltskin before following Belle across the market.

* * *

Another month passed, during which the new duke came to the Frontlands, a man called Leonard who brought a pregnant wife and three daughters with him and spent much of his time the first few days he was in town walking around with Belle, who introduced him to his new subjects and explained to him the improvements she hoped he would make.

Two weeks after he arrived, Belle was sitting in front of the fire in Rumplestiltskin's home, looking over Bae's shoulder at the book he was reading aloud to her as Rumplestiltskin cleaned up from dinner before sitting at his wheel.

"Bae, bed," he said when Bae finished the chapter with much praise from Belle.

"Wait," Belle said, putting a hand one Bae's shoulder to stop him from standing before looking down at her other hand in her lap. "I came tonight to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Bae yelled. "You're leaving?!" Rumplestiltskin stared at her sadly as it hit him that the day he had been dreading had finally arrived.

"Yes," she said, trying to smile at Bae as she cupped his cheeks in her palm. "Leonard is all set up here and will be a good duke, and however much I wish I could stay, I need to return to my father."

Bae's lip quivered before he tackled Belle with a hug, almost forcing her to the floor. She gripped him in her arms just as tightly, holding him practically in her lap. As he pulled away, he held her book out for her to take. She gently pushed it away. "I brought it for you, love. I brought them all for you to keep," she said, nodding towards the small stack she had let Bae choose from earlier in the evening. "You keep reading even after I'm gone, you hear? You be smart and keep using that clever head of yours." Bae nodded and she reached out to wipe a tear away from his cheek. "It's been my honor to spend time with you, Baelfire. I'm so glad to have met you." She hugged him again before he went up to the loft, casting his father a miserable look as he left.

Looking towards his spinning wheel, Rumplestiltskin tried to keep his own misery from showing. "We'll miss you, Belle," he said when he couldn't take Belle's eyes being on him anymore.

She smiled as she stood up and went to the table, pulling a pouch out of the bag she had left there with her leather gloves. "I'll miss both of you so much," she said, walking over to him and handing him the pouch. He took it and looked inside, finding it full of gold coins.

"Belle, no," he said, standing as he shook his head and held it back out to her.

She closed his fingers around it in his palm. "Please take it, Rumplestiltskin. It will make me feel better about leaving you two."

She stared at him with suspiciously bright eyes and he nodded, setting it on top of the basket where he kept his wool. "Thank you," he whispered, knowing she knew that he was talking about so much more than just the gold. She gave him a tight smile.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to have to see her and know it would be the last time, and was taken by surprise when her lips covered his and she pressed her body into his, pushing him until his back hit the wall and he dropped his walking stick to wrap both arms around her waist, kissing her back as forcefully as she kissed him, hands tangling in hair and grasping necks and arms holding on tighter until she pulled away as suddenly as she had kissed him, her breathing ragged and eyes glistening.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against his cheek, moving her hands to clench his shoulders. "I shouldn't have done that. Not with me leaving in the morning." She shook her head against his and took a deep, shuddering breath before stepping back, stepping out of his arms. He watched as she pulled her gloves on, avoiding his eyes.

"Belle?" he said, trying to be brave, trying to gather his courage for her, for his lioness. She paused, her hand on the door and eyes fixed ahead of her. "I love you."

She laughed shakily and leaned against the door, eyes closed again. "You couldn't have told me that before?" She sighed. "I love you too, my lionhearted coward." They stayed like that, him watching her, her with her eyes closed, until she stood up straight and looked right at him, completely composed except for the tears in her eyes. "Goodbye, Rumplestiltskin."

Wrenching the door open, she left without looking back.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for the amazing response and all the follows, favorites, and encouraging reviews! It really means a lot to me. Just as a side note-Belle's whole situation with her father decreeing her to be king is inspired by Christina, the girl king of Sweden. If you're interested, you should look her up. She's fascinating. Thanks for reading :) There's one chapter to go.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Girl King

Belle sat in her carriage, staring out the window as she twisted her ring on her finger.

"Are you nervous?"

She looked at Gaston where he was sitting across from her and smiled. "Of course not." He cocked an eyebrow and she forced a laugh that sounded fake even to her. "Why would I be nervous?"

"Because it's been a year since you've been to the Frontlands," he said and she looked out of the window again, silent for a long moment.

"I'm just worried," she whispered. He reached across the gap between the seats and put his hand on her knee, squeezing it.

"I know."

The last time she had seen her spinner and his son had been the morning she left his town. She and Gaston had stood in the square with Duke Leonard and his family.

"Thank you for your hospitality and friendship," she called out to the crowd, forcing a smile. "If any of you need help, do not hesitate to approach Duke Leonard—" the kindly man smiled "—and do not hesitate to request an audience with me. I am your princess and one day I will be your king, but I only have my crown because you trust me with it, so trust me with it. Let me help you." She thanked Leonard and took her horse's reins from Gaston, pulling herself up. When she waved at the crowd one last time, she saw Rumplestiltskin and Baelfire standing in the back, Rumplestiltskin's arm around his son's shoulders and tears glistening in his eyes. She pressed her lips together to stop herself from calling out their names and tightened her hands on her reins, kicking the horse into a trot and hurtling out of town, Gaston and his knights close behind her.

They rode for most of the day and once camp was set up in a clearing that night, Belle went and sat by a creek away from all the men who were thrilled to be going home. After a while, Gaston came and sat next to her.

"It's okay to cry," he murmured.

"Kings don't cry," she said, watching a fish in the water.

"No, but people do," Gaston said, nudging her shoulder with her own. "A king who isn't a person is not a good king, and sometimes the person under the crown needs a good cry."

"How is this possible?" she whispered, staring up at him with her heartbreak showing on her face for the first time. "I've known him for three months. Three months! And now I'm wishing I didn't have to go home so I could stay with him."

"I don't know, Belle," he said and her tears finally spilled over. He pulled her to him and let her cry herself out on his shoulder.

Over the next year, he had managed to scare off her two suitors.

"So much could have changed since I last saw them," she said, frowning out of the carriage's window. Gaston didn't say anything, just squeezed her knee again before releasing it and sitting up straight.

"My father wants me to think about marriage more," Belle said quietly. "He wants me to consider you again." Gaston snorted and her lips twitched. "I don't know what to do. He just wants me happy before—before his sickness gets worse… But if I can't be with the one person I actually want to marry."

"So your next best choice is your closest friend," he murmured.

Belle passed a hand over her face tiredly. "I don't know what to do."

"Nothing is impossible," he said and she sighed. "But put it out of your head for now, Belle. This is the last stop on the tour, so focus on your subjects and worry about marriage after."

Belle tried to smile at him and nodded.

Every year, King Maurice would go on a tour of the kingdom to meet with his lords and subjects, but this was the first tour in four years because of the war and now Maurice's health was too poor to travel, so Belle was taking his place with Gaston at her side.

It was late in the afternoon when they came into town and stopped in the main square before heading to the Duke's castle.

Gaston got out of the carriage first, holding out a hand to help her step out of it, her skirts swishing. Looking around, she grinned. The previously war-decimated town was now bustling with trade. The main road was paved with cobblestones instead of being mud, the buildings didn't look like they would fall over with a strong gust of wind anymore, and there was a schoolhouse on the other side of the square.

"Leonard did an amazing job," Gaston said and Belle nodded, smiling and waving at the people she recognized.

"Belle?!" She looked towards the school and saw a tall, thin boy with short brown hair running towards her. She frowned as he came to a stop before her before gasping.

"Baelfire?" He nodded and she laughed, craning her neck to look him in the eyes. "How have you grown so much in a year?" He shrugged, smiling at her, and she laughed as she pulled him down for a hug. "It's so great to see you, love!"

"You too! It wasn't the same without you here," he said, stepping back to smile at her before looking at a spot over her shoulder. "Papa, look who's here!"

Belle whirled around and was suddenly face to face with Rumplestiltskin, who was staring at her like he was sure she would disappear any moment. She gave him a timid smile as he kept staring.

"Hello," she whispered before finding her voice and wiping all uncertainty from her posture. "It's good to see you again."

He nodded slowly, gripping his walking stick tighter. Baelfire looked between them before smiling down at Belle. "Can you join us for dinner tonight?"

She tore her eyes away from Rumplestiltskin and smiled back up at him. "I would love to, Bae, but I have to greet my host. Perhap—perhaps tomorrow? If your father is alright with it?" She glanced at Rumplestiltskin uncertainly.

"Of course," he said too quickly and looked down at his feet. "It would be our pleasure."

She smiled. "I'll see you both tomorrow then."

"It will be just like old times!" Bae said, hugging Belle again before running off.

"Just like old times," Rumplestiltskin murmured and turned to walk away.

"Rumple, wait," she said, stepping forward. He looked back at her, staring at her outstretched hand, which she slowly drew back to her body. "How are you?"

"We're good," he said, avoiding her eyes.

"No, not you and Bae," she said, stepping closer. "How are _you_?"

"I—" he met her eyes for a moment before turning away again. "I'll see you tomorrow evening, your highness."

"Of course," Belle whispered hoarsely, staring after him and feeling like all the air had gone out of her lungs. She forced herself to smile at the townspeople as Gaston ushered her back into the carriage to they make their way to the castle.

"The boy seemed glad to see you," Gaston said as they neared Leonard's home, watching her closely.

Belle smiled. "He's a sweet boy."

"And your spinner…?"

"He's shut himself off from me," she said, sighing. "When he does that, he's nearly impossible to read."

"But you intend to break through to him tomorrow," Gaston said carefully.

"Aye," she said, smirking slightly. "That I do."

* * *

Belle paused, frowning at the building in front of her. Where there had once been a tiny but cozy shack, there was now a small house with a well-kept yard. She glanced around to make sure her memory had taken her to the right spot and when she concluded that she was indeed where Rumplestiltskin and Baelfire's home had been, she walked slowly up to the door before she realized that this was the same building, just with some work to make it larger and stronger.

She knocked and grinned when Baelfire threw it open. "I thought I was at the wrong house at first," she said as he stepped aside to let her pass.

"It looks great, doesn't it?" he said, taking the basket she was holding and setting it on the table.

"It does," she said, looking around and noticing Rumplestiltskin standing awkwardly next to his spinning wheel in the corner. She smiled at him.

"We did it with your gold," Rumplestiltskin murmured, drawing a soft smile from her as he looked questioningly at the basket.

"I didn't want to be a burden," she said by way of an explanation.

Rumplestiltskin stared at her for a moment before understanding crossed his face and he shook his head. "No, no, you've done enough. We are feeding you tonight, B—princess."

She tried to stop herself from wincing at her title as he shuffled off into the next room—Belle was pleased at the fact that there even was another room—and returned with a small pile of plates. "Bae, bring the food to the table."

Belle watched as they set the table and when Bae drew out a chair for her, she smiled. "What a gentleman," she said.

It was nothing like the dinner they used to have. Those were filled with easy conversation and comfortable silences. This one involved Belle and Rumplestiltskin both talking only to Bae and avoiding so much as looking at each other.

By the time the meal was over, Bae threw down his fork and glared at them. "What is wrong with you two tonight?"

"Nothing," Belle murmured.

"Everything is fine, son," Rumplestiltskin said, staring at his plate as if it would get up and start dancing at any moment and he would miss it if he looked away.

"Liars." Bae stared at his father and rolled his eyes. "Papa, why won't you call Belle by her name anymore?"

Rumplestiltskin stayed silent, poking at the food left on his plate, and Belle gasped with sudden understanding. "He thinks that I won't want to be friends with him anymore after a year back at court," she said, staring at him as she addressed Bae. "I'm not so shallow as that, Rumple."

"That's not it!" he said, addressing her directly, though his eyes were still downcast.

"Then what is it?" she cried. He looked her in the eyes and she froze. His mask was gone and she could read him like one of her books again. "Oh."

"Oh?" Bae said, but neither of them looked away from the other to acknowledge his question.

"The feelings I had for both of you when I left last year are unchanged," Belle whispered, eyes still fixed on Rumplestiltskin's, which widened.

"What?" Bae said, glancing between them and the way they were staring at each other as if they would drown if they looked away, and his jaw fell open. "Oh." He stood up abruptly and they both looked up at him. "I'm going for a walk."

When he looked back over his shoulder before walking out the door, Belle was staring at her hands with an unreadable expression on her face and Rumplestiltskin was watching him with a mixture of terror and relief. He gave his father a smile before slipping out the door.

The room fell silent and after a few minutes, Rumplestiltskin sighed and stood up, grabbed his walking stick, and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Belle asked, chewing on her finger.

"To my wheel," he said without looking at her. Her lips turned upwards as she stood to follow him, taking her chair with her and settling next to him at the spinning wheel.

She watched him spin before swallowing and looking at her hands again. "Rumplestiltskin, if you don't—if you don't feel the same way as you did before, then just tell me."

"What?" The wheel halted and she looked up at him to find him staring at her with complete shock on his face. "You think that I don't love you anymore?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I do. If you still loved me, then you would talk to me or even _look_ at me."

He turned back to his wheel before speaking again. "I don't look at you because it's too painful to see you and know I can never have you."

"You've always had me," she whispered.

He glanced at her. "Princess—"

"_Belle_," she said, leaning towards him.

"Belle," he breathed, reaching out to trace a finger down her cheek. "I can't…" Whatever thought he had died on his lips as she leaned closer to him, staring at him with sad eyes and a quivering lip that he couldn't resist kissing.

She kissed him back, slow and soft, more gentle than the one they had shared before, and when he pulled away and she smiled at him like she had never seen something more wonderful, he whispered "I love you" and she kissed him again.

They broke apart when the door banged open and Bae walked in, smirking when he saw them. "I knew it," he said. "I knew it." He walked up the stairs that had once led to his loft and before disappearing from view, called back "I knew it" one last time.

Belle giggled and turned to look at Rumplestiltskin, her smile fading as she reached out to put her palm on his cheek. "I'm only here for a week this time," she whispered.

He closed his eyes, placing his own hand on top of hers. "So I get to see you for one last week and then you disappear back to your castle again."

"It doesn't have to be like that," she said and his eyes flew open.

"What, you'll stay here and be a spinner's wife?" he said, laughing coldly.

"If I could, I would without a second's thought," she said and he froze, staring at her before turning his head to kiss his palm.

He laced his fingers with hers and drew their hands away from his face to rest in his lap. "But you can't."

"But you could come back with me," she whispered, putting her other hand on top of their joined ones and squeezing. "Come back with me, Rumple. You and Bae."

He laughed again. "Belle, sweetheart, spinners don't marry princesses."

"Why not?" she cried. "It's not like you have to worry about ruling since I'll be king. Why shouldn't I marry who I want and be happy?"

"You can't honestly want me," he said, drawing his hands away from hers. She moved hers to rest on his knees.

"I haven't thought of anyone else since I met you and I never thought of anyone else the way I think of you before," she whispered. "Please, Rumplestiltskin. Don't force me to marry a man I don't want to be with just so that my family line will continue."

When he just stared at her, she sighed and stood up. "I'm leaving after market day, so you have until then to make your decision." She frowned down at him. "If you decide to stay because it's what's right for Bae, I'll accept that. You're a father first. But don't let your worries about fitting in at court or giving people something to gossip about stop you from doing what you want."

She turned away from him then and walked out the door wordlessly like she had last year. The only difference was that this time she glanced back at him.

* * *

Two days later, Belle was in the schoolhouse with Duke Leonard's wife, Evelyn.

"It's really been quite a success, Milady Lioness," Evelyn said, smiling at Belle as she showed her the smallest of the two classrooms. "We've made it mandatory for children to attend until they're thirteen and if they want to attend past that age, they can study in this room until they come of age."

"This is wonderful," Belle said as she looked around the room. The door opened to show Bae standing outside sheepishly.

"Can I help you, child?" Evelyn asked, peering at Bae.

"Belle, can I talk to you?" he said, his eyes fixed on her.

"Manners!" Evelyn said before turning to Belle.

"Your grace, Bae is fine," she said, waving away Evelyn's apologies. "If you would excuse me for a moment?"

Evelyn frowned but nodded and Belle followed Bae out of the room and into the field behind the schoolhouse. He led her to a fallen log on the edge of the forest, where he sat and patted the spot next to him.

He waited until she was sitting to speak, staring at a line of ants on the ground. "Papa told me what you asked him."

"And?" she said, watching as he broke a branch off the tree to poke at the ants.

"I want us both to go with you, but…"

"But your whole life is here," Belle said, sighing and looking towards the village.

"Yeah," Bae said before looking up at her with the same brown eyes Rumplestiltskin had. "You're really in love with my papa?"

"Yes," she said, smiling at him. "I love your papa and you very much."

"I can barely remember my mama. My only memory of her is her being sad." Bae took a shuddering breath before looking towards the village. "You really—you really want to be my step-mother?"

Belle waited until he glanced at her to reply. "I do, Baelfire." His lips twitched. "I didn't expect to become so attached to you when I stopped Hordor from taking you to war," she said, smiling.

Bae laughed at that and stood up. When she copied him, he hugged her tightly before leading her back to the schoolhouse.

"I'm going to try to convince Papa to go with you on one condition," he said as they walked.

"What's that?"

"I can become a knight," he said, grinning at her.

"Bae, love," she said, laughing. "You'll be a prince." She giggled at his expression before reaching up to ruffle his hair.

* * *

Rumplestiltskin still hadn't spoken to Belle again by market day. She saw him as she walked around the town, but he avoided her every time she came close to him.

"He still hasn't made a decision," Bae said, scowling as he came up beside her where she stood watching the market.

She sighed and leaned against the side of the butcher's home. "Does he realize that I'm leaving tomorrow?"

"He wants to go," Bae said. "I can tell he does, but he thinks he's a coward and cowards don't deserve princesses."

"Even if he was coward, it's not a question of what he thinks I deserve," she growled. "I make my own decisions, and believe me, I spent the last year wishing that I had asked you two to come with me. I know what I want."

She looked over at Rumplestiltskin's stall and frowned. Gaston was standing in front of it, leaning across the table of threads to talk to Rumplestiltskin, who was staring at him intently.

"Are you having dinner with the Duke?" Bae said.

"Aye," she said, clenching handfuls of her skirt in her hands as she watched Gaston and Rumplestiltskin.

"Can you come by afterwards? I'll tell Papa to make his decision by then to tell you."

Belle looked up at Bae and nodded. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before walking over to his father.

She was anxious for the rest of the day, wrinkling her dress where she held it and putting even Gaston on edge.

"Calm yourself," he said, grasping her shoulders to stop her from mounting a horse to ride to Rumplestiltskin's after dinner. "Whatever happens, just remember that you won't regret not asking them this time."

She nodded and he kissed the top of her head in a rare display of affection. "Good luck, Belle." He gave her a leg up onto the horse, where she arranged herself to sit sidesaddle.

"Thank you," she said before urging the horse on.

When she reached Rumplestiltskin's home, she tied up the horse and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Bae opened it and let her in without a word. Rumplestiltskin was sitting at the table and barely looked up when she entered.

"So?" she said more to fill the silence than to find out what the verdict was, glancing between father and son.

"Belle," Rumplestiltskin sighed, standing up. "I can't be a princess's husband."

"Yes, you can," she said, walking forward to stand across from him at the table.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't know how. I belong here, not in court."

She slammed her palm on the table, startling him. "Stop it, Rumplestiltskin," she yelled at him. "If you say no, say it because you don't want to be with me. I think you don't belong here or in court because you belong with me wherever I am, and if you disagree, then stay here, but if you agree, then come with me, damn it!"

"What would your father say if you come home with a spinner and his son in tow?" he murmured, glancing at Bae, who was leaning against the door and watching them.

"My father wants me to be happy," Belle said, rounding the table to stand in front of Rumplestiltskin. "You two make me happy."

"Belle," he whispered, staring down at her with tears in his eyes.

"Rumple?"

He sighed, shaking his head again. "I want to be with you, so badly, but… We can't come with you. It's not the right place for us."

She stared at him, her face falling. "And I can't change your mind on that?"

"No," he said. "I'm sorry, sweeth—princess."

"You're going to regret it. Forever," she said, biting her lip before turning to walk away. Bae stepped away from the door and she could feel both of them watching as she opened it to leave their lives again when a voice from the corner startled all of them.

"I wouldn't leave so soon, Milady Lioness." Belle whirled around and saw Zoso sitting on Rumplestiltskin's spinning stool.

"Zoso?" Rumplestiltskin said, his jaw hanging open.

"You always were observant," Zoso said, inspecting his black fingernails.

"The Dark One?" Bae whispered, drawing close to Belle, who nodded, eyes fixed on Zoso.

"What are you doing here, Zoso?" Belle said. "Neither of us called on you."

"Are you lot aware that I have the powers of premonition?" Zoso said, raising his eyes.

"No," Belle said as Rumplestiltskin shook his head.

"I thought as much," he said, standing. "This is a defining moment for not only your lives, but the kingdom. With your decision, Rumplestiltskin, the future will go in one direction or the other. I wanted to make sure you were fully aware of the two options before you made your choice." They all watched as him as he stepped towards them.

"Should you choose to stay, the princess here will go back to her castle and rule as king after her father's death. She will be a good king, merciful and fair, loved by all. However, she will refuse to marry if there's no love in it for her and so will die childless and alone. She will have passed her throne to her dear Gaston and his children, but the kingdom will erupt into civil war over the crown. You, Rumplestiltskin, will also die alone and unhappy. The only good things in your life will be your son and his children, but you'll rarely get to see them because young Baelfire will have taken a spot in the king's court with the woman who might have been his mother." Zoso said, staring at Rumplestiltskin.

"And if we go with Belle?" Bae said, eyes fixed on Zoso, who smiled.

"If you go with Belle, then the court will face one of the biggest scandals in memory. The princess marrying a lowly spinner will be second only to the king declaring that his daughter would one day be king. However, once the old ladies stop gossiping, the kingdom will be thrust into wealth and peace. With a peasant on the king's arm, the common people will have a voice never before offered to them, and you, Belle, will be a great king, not merely a good one. History will remember you as the best king Avonlea has ever had and your marriage to Rumplestiltskin will begin what will later be known as the Spinner's Golden Age, which lasts for centuries, and when each of you pass on, you will die happy and surrounded by your children and grandchildren to be mourned by the entire kingdom if not the entire Enchanted Forest."

Belle stared at him, her mouth open slightly before looking at Rumplestiltskin, who was staring at Zoso with shock. "Rumple?" she said and he turned his eyes on her, desire shown on every feature.

"You really want us to come with you?" he said, disbelief coloring his voice. "Really and truly?"

"More than anything," she whispered, walking up to him.

He nodded, pressing his lips together and touching her cheek with his knuckle. "Oh, sweetheart. We'll come with you."

The biggest smile he had ever seen on anyone spread across her face and she stepped forward to hug him, pressing her face into his neck as he wrapped his free arm around her, burying his face in her hair.

"Thank you," Bae murmured to Zoso as Belle clung to Rumplestiltskin.

"My pleasure," Zoso said. "It would be a shame to see a true love like theirs go to waste."

Belle pulled away to stare at Zoso. "True love?" she said, blinking rapidly as she took a small step away from Rumplestiltskin. "Proper break-any-curse true love?"

Zoso laughed. "Indeed."

"But… how do you know?" Rumplestiltskin said, his hand still on Belle's waist.

"True love's magic has a very specific feel to it and it's coming off of you two in waves." He laughed again at their shocked faces before bowing. "My offer of an alliance is still in place, your highness." He disappeared without another word.

All three of them stared at the spot that Zoso had just been standing in when Bae cleared his throat. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Morraine," he said, slipping out the door with one last smile thrown towards them.

Belle looked at Rumplestiltskin, who smiled down at her with a look of pure happiness as he brushed some hair out of her face. "I suppose I should pack," he murmured, not taking his eyes off of hers.

"Yes, I suppose you should," Belle said, leaning up to brush her lips against his before pulling away to help him get ready to leave.

They had the rest of their lives to be together, after all.

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end. Thank you so much for sticking with this! I would LOVE to know what you thought of this, so please, please, please leave a review! I've gotten amazing responses to this already, so I'd really like to know how you all thought of the ending. Thanks for reading!**


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